Jeff Green Quietly Turning into a Force for Boston Celtics

By Cody Williams

Sam Sharpe – USA Today Sports Images

The Boston Celticswere really excited about Jeff Green in the preseason as he showed a ton of promise after missing all of the 2011-2012 NBAseason because he needed heart surgery. However, through the first few months of the season, the preseason promise that Green had shown became a mirage.

Through the end of January this season, Green was playing just 23.8 minutes per game and averaging 9.6 points, 3.2 rebounds and 0.8 assists per game while shooting only 43.2 percent from the field and 32.2 percent from beyond-the-arc. He wasn’t showing hardly any of the promise that the Celtics had bought into.

However, with injuries to Rajon Rondo, Jared Sullinger and Leandro Barbosa causing Green’s minutes to increase, he’s risen to the occasion.

In the 13 games that Green has played in since the beginning of February, Green has played 30.9 minutes per game and has averaged 15.5 points, 4.2 rebounds, two assists and 1.8 blocks per game. To add to that impressive stat-line, he’s also been shooting the ball at 52.2 percent efficiency from the floor and 37.5 percent efficiency from long-range.

His stats were obviously going to improve as his workload increased, but no one really expected them to improve as much as they have or for his percentages to rise the way they have. Green has gone from being a serviceable back-up guard/forward and become a legitimate threat for Boston.

As the Celtics are resting-up for a run in the NBA Playoffs, Green is probably going to see even more minutes per game. If he continues to play the way that he has lately, there’s no doubt that his confidence is going to be at an all-time high. That’s exactly what Boston needs to happen for their potential postseason run. If they can get Green to come off the bench and play big minutes in big games, they will indubitably be better for it.